Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics 2012 MLB Point Spreads

by Matt Foust on Thursday, May 10th, 2012

The Oakland A’s welcome the Detroit Tigers to the Bay Area this evening as the two squads open a four game set at O.co Coliseum. First pitch in tonight’s series opener, which features starters Max Scherzer and Bartolo Colon, is scheduled for 10:05pm ET. The latest MLB Point Spreads have the visiting Tigers listed as a -125 moneyline favorite; the Under seven runs is favored at -115 odds.

Detroit enters tonight’s game with a 15-15 record and fresh off another series loss to the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners, who swept the Tigers in the Motor City last month, secured a 2-1 series victory last night with a 2-1 win.

Detroit’s offense, which produced nine runs in the three game set, managed just five hits and one earned run over eight innings off of Seattle’s Jason Vargas. The poor showing spoiled another solid outing from Drew Smyly, who limited the M’s to two hits and one earned in six innings of work.

Tigers’ Skipper Jim Leyland will send the scuffling Max Scherzer to the hill tonight as the team looks to keep pace with the first place Indians in the AL Central (trails Cleveland by two games). Scherzer has been horrific most of the season, giving up 21 earned runs in his first five appearances (23.4 innings), but he did put together his best performance of the year in his last outing. The Missouri product gave up four hits, one earned run, and struck out nine over seven innings in a 2-3 loss to the White Sox at Comerica Park.

Oakland (16-15), which sits second in the AL West and 4.5 games back of the division leading Rangers, will counter Scherzer with veteran right hander Bartolo Colon. Colon is off to another solid start, posting a 3-2 record and 2.83 ERA in seven starts, but he did not look good last Saturday at Tampa Bay. The Dominican native allowed eight hits and three earned runs (all home runs) in just five innings on the mound, but fortunately for the A’s they were able to win the game 4-3 inspite of Colon not having his best stuff.

Colon is 8-9 with a 5.25 ERA in 24 career appearances (23 starts) opposite the Tigers. Over the last three seasons he has given up 18 hits and 10 earned runs in 19 innings against Detroit; the Tigers hit for a .275 average in those 19 innings.

MLB Point Spreads Betting Trend: Bartolo Colon’s teams are 2-8 in his last 10 starts as a home underdog.